Railroad-tie.



No. 766,338. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.- F. M. FRENCH.

RAILROAD TIE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 21, 1903.

no EODEL. 2 SHEETS-BHEBT 1.

A OZQA QZiI/M my i No. 766,338. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. P. M. FRENCH.

RAILROAD TIE.

APPLICATION FILED 00121, 1903.

110 110mm. 2 sums-sum 2.

Atvy.

FR A N K Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT @rricn.

M. FtENCH, OF MARSHALL, MICHIGAN.

RAILROAD-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,338, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed October 21,1908. Serial No. 177,966. \llo model.

fracture of the superstructure and upon whose i upper surface pockets are formed at the T-rail crossings for receiving hearings for the securing of said rails thereto: and the objects of my improvement are to construct a tie that will be simple in construction, comparatively cheap to manufacture, and one that will not 1 be affected by the deteriorating ravages of time and whereby the T-rail can be easily placed or removed without especial tools for the purpose. .I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved tie with T-rails attached. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of one end of a tie.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of Fig. 2 the line .r .1'. Fig. i is a cross-section at one of the T-rail hearings. Fig. 5 is a modilied form showing a plan view of one end of a tie with the T-rail attached. Fig. o is a vertical side view of Fig. 5: Fig. 7. a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. (5; and Fig. 8 is a crosssection of Figs. 5. 6, and T at the T-rail hearing. Fig. J is another modilication in plan view. Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section of one end of a tie embodying this moditication. Fig. 11 is a plan view of one end of a tie with the rail and rail-clamping mechanism removed; and Fig. 12 is a cross-section of Fig. 11 on the line ,1 ,1 with the clamp-fastener embedded in asphaltum or other plastic cement.

Like letters of reference correspond to similar parts throughout the different views.

In carrying out my invention in localities where slabs of stone are not readily procurable I. construct the body A of artilicial stone, by which term is meant any combination of sand, cinders, and like friable substances with cement as will produce artilicial stone when set. These ties may he made rectangular in cross-section and ofa uniformdimension their entire length, as shown, or may be formed wider at the T-rail hearing, as may be found judicious or expedient.

\Yithin the upper surface of the tie at places where the rails H cross, pockets are formed. These pockets are somewhat narrower than the tie and of a length somewhat longer than the hreadth of the T-rail, their depth by pref erence comprising two series of levels, that portion designated as the railhearing being shallow and shown as j in Figs. 3 and l and that portion within which the spikes c w are secured being of a depth sulliciently deep to receive the same when set and of a. length somewhat beyondthemeandimension ofthemain pocket, as Z l, Figs. 1 and the portions Z Z' sloping upward from near the bottom of the spikes.

Ilncompassing these pockets while the tie. is

in a plastic state metallic bands 5/ are intro duced. These hands have a tendency to prevent the superstructure from fracture at this portion of the tie. Connecting these bands (one of which is located in either end of a tie) a metallic truss i is placed. This truss hy preference has its ends curved upward and receives at either end thereof the metallic hands 1 below this truss and running the length of the tie A, I employ, hy preference, three metallic bars /a /i /1. These bars also have their ends curved, as shown, the whole being embedded wholly within the superstructure or body portion of the tie.

To secure T-rails B in the tie, the pockets in either end thereof are lilled with asphaltum, within which the spikes are set, also that portion where the rail rests.

In using Trinidad asphaltum nothing further is necessary, the asphalt forming both a cushion for the rail. also a base for securing the spikes. Should California asphalt be used, or asphaltum containing coal-tar or other adulterants having a semihard tendency, the use of a metallic plate 1/ is employed, its object being to prevent the rail from sinking within the asphalt cushion and also preventing the spikes from spreading.

In using clear or Trinidad asphaltum,should it be found expedient, the pocket portions of a tie at that place where the T-rails B cross could be supplied with asphaltum before the ties were set, the recesses where the spikes are received being filled on the ground where the ties were placed.

In making the pockets tapering and narrow where the spikes c c are located but little material is necessary to secure the spikes, and by the provision of the tapering or slanting ends it 70, as set forth, the spikes canbe easily chipped from their positions by the aid of hammer and chisel.

In the modifications Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 the body portion of the tie A, also the truss or core construction, does not materially differ from the foregoing description. l/Vithin either end of the tie,and communicating with the T- rail crossing, pockets are provided whose mouths by preference are somewhat larger in the longitudinal dimension of the tie than are their bottom and cross breadths, and communicating therewith I also prefer to arrange a channel Z, extending crosswise of the tie at that portion where the T-rail B rests. WVithin these pockets wooden blocks m or their equivalents are introduced, and entirely enveloping the same asphaltum or its by-products coal-tar, &cis placed while in a liquid state, the same when set providing avery resilient cushion not affected by the weather, cheap to produce, and a speedy and eflicacious means for securing spikes. The provision of entirely submerging the wooden block on affords a thorough protection of the same from the elements, and by the provision of the tapering ends to the pockets holding the asphaltum the same can be readily removed'by hammer and chisel or other tool adapted to the purpose.

In the modifications Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 a pocket D is formed in either end of the tie A on its upper face immediately in line with the T-rail bearings. These pockets are of a length and breadth sufiiciently large to wholly circumscribe the rail-fastenings'when placed, and they preferably comprise two series of depressions, the upper recess being shallow, and within this recess a secondary central longitudinal depression F is formed. To secure the T-rail to the tie, a metallic inverted U-shaped strap G is placed within the depression F, its upper ends being threaded and projecting above the face of the tie.- Asphaltum or other plastic cement may be placed within the pocket within which this strap is located either before or after placing the rail, as may be expedient. The U-shaped strap having been set, a plate H, having two stamped projecting ears I I, is brought to clasp the bottom flange of the T-rail and secured to the upwardly-projecting ends of the aforesaid strap by burs run thereon.

carrying out my invention without departing from the spirit and scope of my improvements.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A railway tie or sleeper having pockets in its upper face communicating with railcrossings, a resilient cushion composed of asphaltum introduced within said pockets, and spikes placed within said asphaltum for securing rails thereto for the purpose set forth.

2. A railway tie or sleeper having pockets in its upper face communicating with railcrossings, said pockets having parallel-arranged grooves, longitudinal with the tie within the bottom of said pockets, the outer ends of said grooves alternating with each other and extending beyond the upper orifice of said pockets, resilient cushions composed of plastic cement capable of hardeningintroduced within said pockets, and means for holding a rail thereto, for the purpose set forth.

3. A railway tie-or sleeper having pockets in its upper face communicating with railcrossings, said pockets having two parallelarranged grooves longitudinal with the tie within the bottom of said pockets, the outer ends of said grooves alternately arranged and provided with sloping bottoms whose upper extremities extend beyond the main pocket, a resilient cushion composed of plastic cement capable of hardening introduced within said pockets, and spikes placed within said cement for securing rails thereto, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described.

L. A railway tie or sleeper composed of artificial stone, pockets in the upper surface of said tie communicating with rail-crossings, plastic cement capable of hardening and forming resilient cushions within said pockets, metallic bands embedded within said tie and encompassing said pockets, metallic bars embedded within said tie and extending beyond said pockets, the ends of said bars curving laterally from their body portions substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A railway tie or sleeper composed of artificial stone, pockets in the upper face of said tie and communicating with rail-crossings, plastic cement capable of hardening and forming resilient cushions within said pockets, me-

FRANK M. FRENCH.

Witnesses WALTER R. HEYsER, THOMAS J. SwARTwoUT. 

